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Jim Jamail And Sons Food Market At 3114 Kirby Dr.


JLWM8609

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  • 5 years later...

I was born in '76, lived out in the suburbs, but remember almost any time my mother had an excuse to take us into town for a doctor's appointment, or was planning a big party, she would stop at Jamail's on Kirby. Long before Central Market, Trader Joe's, or even Rice Epicurean, Jamail's was pretty much the only high end grocery store with specialty items in Houston. I remember first getting Jelly Belly jelly beans there in the early 80s, when they became a fad because then newly elected President Reagan was partial to them. I also remember it being a real treat to get a coke from the coke machine while my mom shopped. They came in the little 8 oz glass bottles, and cost no more than 15 cents, may have been as low as 5 cents, and you returned the bottle before you left the store. I just remember at a time when a can of coke cost 50 cents from a machine, marveling at how cheap the coke bottles were there.

 

Anyone else have any specific memories of the place, or some photos of the interior?

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I've mentioned in other threads how outstanding the service and quality of the produce was. Central Market and Whole Foods don't come close to offering the customer service one would experience at Jamail's.

 

Being local and family owned was a big part of it......

 

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Being local and family owned was a big part of it......

 

Or maybe because the owner genuinely cared. The "locally owned is better" argument is bunk, because it depends on the operating philosophy not on the fact that it's local or family owned. Raise of hands: who prefers Food Town and other Gerland's brands over H-E-B or Kroger? Or better example: does the fact that the Walton family controls Wal-Mart make it a better store?

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Or maybe because the owner genuinely cared. The "locally owned is better" argument is bunk, because it depends on the operating philosophy not on the fact that it's local or family owned. Raise of hands: who prefers Food Town and other Gerland's brands over H-E-B or Kroger? Or better example: does the fact that the Walton family controls Wal-Mart make it a better store?

 

I think you miss the point. Local and family owned for me means just that, in a local community, family owned and run, with typically one location.. Operating philosophy is a part of it, but I contend that a local family owned and run business is more likely to focus on personal customer service than a multi-location, corporate entity....of course exceptions prove the rule.

Family control of Wal-Mart, or BMW, or Mars candy, etc. is besides the point.

 

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I think you miss the point. Local and family owned for me means just that, in a local community, family owned and run, with typically one location.. Operating philosophy is a part of it, but I contend that a local family owned and run business is more likely to focus on personal customer service than a multi-location, corporate entity....of course exceptions prove the rule.

Family control of Wal-Mart, or BMW, or Mars candy, etc. is besides the point.

Jamail's had at least 2 stores in The Woodlands, probably a few more scattered.

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  • 4 years later...
  • The title was changed to Jamail's Grocery Store
  • The title was changed to Jim Jamail And Sons Food Market At 3114 Kirby Dr.

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